It’s goes along with the Israelization of American foreign policy. American police chiefs from across the country have been sent to Israel to learn Israel’s techniques of suppressing demonstrations against the occupation of Palestinian land.

Israeli techniques include lethal amounts of tear gas (two Palestinians died recently during non-violent demonstrations against Israeli confiscations of Palestinian land in the West Bank inhaling the US-manufactured gas) and overwhelming power against men, women and children.

Israeli drones dominate Palestinian lives to the degree that popular music includes references to drones- the ones that kills activists and the drones used for intelligence. Ask any Palestinian who adds a room to his home for an expanding family how effective the drones are in pinpointing that additional room which is then demolished for lack of a permit. (Construction permits are NEVER issued to Palestinians – why would they be granted permits when Israel wants the native population to disappear?)

Our “ally” Israel and its siege mentality is damaging this country domestically and in our relations with the international community.

I work and my daughters (with young children) work – out of choice. We like what we do and get more satisfaction participating in the world of work than if we stayed home. However, Democrats make a mistake if they denigrate those women who chose to be at-home mothers. It’s a matter of personal choice, and the last thing that the Hillary Rosen’s of this world should do is dismiss as insignificant Ann Romney’s decision.

Smaller homes, smaller yards, less stuff to take care of? The Europeans made that choice years ago when they chose national health care, four & five weeks of annual vacation time, longer maternity leave, state-funded higher education and were willing to pay for it with higher taxes – thus, less disposible income.

I slogged through snow and puddles of icy water in for several weekends in February in RI for Obama’s primary campaign, going door to door in unfriendly neighborhoods. I went up to Manchester County NH for the presidential campaign– again a white working class area not at all receptive to a black candidate. I donated to the campaign and felt, for the first time in my life, real exhilaration when I marked my ballot for Barack Obama.

This time I will vote my conscience and vote for a third party candidate. After his craven, dishonest campaign speech (for AIPAC?) in the UN, he lost my vote, absolutely. Justice in Palestine is too important an issue for him to grovel to the likes of Netanyahu.

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